Sheriff Joe Arpaio in a parade in Fountain Hills, Ariz. He is the subject of Two Americans, a film by Dan DeVivo and Valeria Fernandez.Image by Gage Skidmore and used under the terms of a Creative Commons license.

Spotlighted Event Of The Week Is A Screening Of Two Americans, A Film Which Tells The Tale Of A 9-Year-Old Girl Who Took On Sheriff Joe ArpaioBy StaffModern Times Magazine

There are a host of educational, political, activist based activities over the next week, but for our featured event, we suggest a screening of Two Americans, an independent film by Dan DeVivo and Valeria Fernandez on Sunday, Aug. 5 at 1:30 p.m. in Chandler Unitarian Universalists congregation, 6400 W. Del Rio Street, Chandler.

The film follows 9-year-old Kathy Figueroa who became the poster child for the fight to remove Sheriff Joe Arpaio from office after he arrested her parents for being undocumented and working at a local Arizona car wash.

“Enter the heart of an American family living in the shadows of a state that has criminalized their existence. Walk in the shoes of a public official who has won enormous political gains by incarcerating “illegals” as he stares down criminal charges of his own. Kathy needs her family. Joe needs the power of his badge. Two Americans will examine the very personal impact of U.S. immigration policies,” according to the website for the film.

Dan De Vivo is a Harvard graduate from New York who also created Crossing Arizona, a Sundance Film Festival selection. Valeria Fernandez is a journalist who has worked for La Voz and has freelanced for CNN Español, CNN International, Radio Bilingue, Inter Press Service, La Opinión, New America Media, the Arizona Republic and the Phoenix New Times.

A potluck lunch and a discussion will precede the film and will begin at 12:30 p.m. The screening is free, but donations are encouraged.

Aug. 1 to 8 — The Prescott Film Festival is a week-long event held at three venues on the Prescott campus of Yavapai College, featuring independent films and filmmakers. There are also parties, and free workshops. Platinum passes and Movie Maven passes, 10-Ticket packages and individual tickets are available. For more information, call 928-458-7209 or visit http://www.prescottfilmfestival.com.

Aug. 3 to 5 — The Jackalope Freedom Festival will begin at 8 a.m. Friday, Aug. 3 at the corner of Rim Road (260) and Forest Road 300 Sitgreaves National Forest, Forest Lakes Estates, AZ 85931. Organizers have called on, “artists, activists, people who are self sustainable and any other freedom loving person following the non aggression principle is welcome.” Camping is allowed, but there is no water or electricity access. For more information, visit www.jackalopefreedomfestival.com or www.freedomsphoenix.com.

Aug. 1

The Citizens Clean Election Commission is sponsoring two debates. At 6 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, 11460 W. Hilton Way, Avondale, they will host a democratic state legislative district 19 debate. District 19 candidates include Mark Cardenas, Lupe Chavira Contreras, Bryan Kilgore and Lorenzo Sierra, although all may not attend. At 6:30 p.m., they will host a republican state legislative district 26 debate in the Memorial Union at Arizona State University. District 26 republican candidates include Buckley Merrill, Raymond Speakman, Mary Lou Taylor and Jason Youn, although all may not attend. For more information, visit http://www.cleanelections101.com/debates.

Phoenix NORML and Camp 420 will be holding their monthly meeting, held on the first Wednesday of each month, at 7 p.m. in Firehouse, 1015 N. 1st Street, Phoenix. For more information, visit http://phoenixnorml.net.

Changing Hands Bookstore will host Medea Benjamin, author of Drone Warfare, Killing by Remote Control, at 7 p.m. The book and talk will primarily discuss the use of drones that have killed civilians in countries such as Afghanistan Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. For more information, call 480-804-2024 or email to endthewarcoalition@cox.net.

The Greater Phoenix Tea Party are supporting Mike Huckabee’s call that Aug. 1 should be a day for those that support Chick-Fil-A and their CEOs comments against gay marriage. They are calling on those that support marriage only between men and women to eat at Chick-Fil-A and tell staff they support them. For more information, visit the Greater Phoenix Tea Party webpage.

Aug. 2

The Citizens Clean Election Commission is sponsoring a democratic state legislative district 30 debate at 6 p.m. in the Glendale Convention Center, 5750 W. Glenn Drive, Glendale Ave., Glendale. District 30 democratic candidates include Jonathan Larkin, Debbie McCune-Davis and Mike Snitz, although all may not attend. For more information, visit http://www.cleanelections101.com/debates.

The Equality Walkers will kick off the first mile of their 100 mile journey in an effort to promote full equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning individuals at 6 p.m. The location has not yet been publicized, but those interested can get more information at www.righttomarryaz.org, or at http://www.facebook.com/events/440181496002432/

Human and Equal Rights Organizers, or HERO, are organizing a protest against Chick-Fil-A and its corporate stance against gay marriage rights at the 12301 N. Tatum Blvd. location at 5:30 p.m. The group has stated that they are not opposed to “innocent” workers, but against the corporation. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/430807710303708/

The Greater Phoenix Tea Party is sponsoring a fundraiser for Russell and Lester Pearce at 6 p.m. at Buffalo Chips Steakhouse, 6811 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek. For more information, visit http://phoenixteaparty.ning.com/events.

Aug. 7

The Surprise Tea Party Patriots are sponsoring a presentation by Trevor Louden, a New Zealand activist who attracted worldwide praise and ridicule for allowing President Obama’s communist leanings, at 6:30 p.m. at the Sun City West Foundation Webb/Powell room, 14465 West R H Johnson Blvd., Sun City. For more information, visit http://www.surpriseteapartypatriots.com/schedule.html